DuPage Scene.

Elephant's Korean Cuisine Moves Out To The Suburbs

November 19, 1995|By Mary Peterson Kauffold. Special to the Tribune.

Until recently, finding a diverse menu of authentic Korean food meant a trip to the ethnic eateries along West Lawrence Avenue in Chicago. Now, freshly prepared kal bi (boneless Korean barbecue beef ribs), duk kok (rice cake ravioli in beef broth) and tong man do (steamed beef dumplings) are available at the Elephant Restaurant, Lisle, which opened in July.

Before the owners, Chun Soo Chang and his wife, Keum Soon, immigrated to the U.S. in 1987, they operated their own restaurant in South Korea. The Changs put their culinary skills to work in their new country and opened their first Elephant eatery in Chicago.

The restaurants take their name from a cherished Chang family visit to a Korean zoo when Chun's two sons, now in college, were just youngsters. Seems the boys offered food to a zoo elephant, and the animal ate with such relish that an elephant became the family icon for hearty appetite.

The Changs' success in Chicago prompted them to look for a second location in the suburbs. They choose Lisle "because it was a central point for many Korean professionals who work and live in the surrounding communities," said Chun's brother, Eddy Chang, who manages both Elephant restaurants.